Jerrica's Challenge
by sunstreakersapprentice
Summary: Jerrica faces the biggest challenge of her life, Breast Cancer. She beats it but gets sick again with lung cancer that makes her live out the rest of her life doing the things in life with Rio during the time she has left. In this story I have decided to make Jem a real person, she is Jerrica's long lost sister and is from London.
1. Chapter 1

Jerrica gets the diagnosis of the one thing that most women fear.

* * *

><p>October, the start of fall. The leaves are changing color on the East Coast and a new color appears. Pink, the color that tells everybody about a serious problem facing women, breast cancer and the importance of monthly self breast exams. People were talking about how their mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers were fighting and winning the battle against a disease that several years earlier was claiming the lives of women almost everyday.<p>

While she showered, Jerrica was thinking of the last time she had checked, she tried to remember how to give herself a breast exam and if she knew how to do it correctly. She slowly reached up to touch her right breast. She held her right arm above her head and everything felt fine so she moved on to the left. There she felt the lump. It felt like a grape, only there shouldn't be one there.

She felt sick to her stomach. She was panicking. No, it can't be. She suddenly felt dizzy. Here she is in the shower thinking, 'Who's the dumbass that had the bright idea of recommending women do this in a slippery shower?'

Calm down. It's probably nothing. Calm down. Turn the shower off. Sit on the toilet. Calm down. Don't be a drama queen. It's probably just a cyst.

She tried to think of something else but failed to do so. All she thought about was that lump in her left breast. She decided to get ready for work, that would help keep her mind off what has her terrified at the moment.

She arrived at work to find recording contracts on her desk, at least that's something, right?

As she started to go through the contracts making sure the new bands got what they asked for, she couldn't help but think of what happened in the shower this morning.

She made it to 11:30 am, before the panic began to overtake her once again. She called her receptionist, Joanie and asked her to call Jem, Rio and the Holograms into her office. A knock on her door got her out of her thoughts. "Hey everyone. Thank you for coming." A tear begins to roll down her cheek, "Um, Kimber? Can you take over for a while?"

Kimber is shocked, "Sure, sis. May I ask why?"

Jerrica begins to cry, "I found a lump in my left breast this morning and I'm taking the rest of the day off. I'll let you know what the doctor said."

The girls hug Jerrica and gave her well wishes. Rio gave her a kiss and told her, "Whatever it is, Jerrica, you'll beat it. You hear me? You're a fighter. You are NOT alone in this, we'll help you. We love you, Jerrica."

She kisses Rio back, "I love you, too, Rio." She releases herself from his hug and turns to the other women, "Thank you for your support and encouragement, it means a lot." She says gathering her purse and jacket.

She needed to get this checked out. She needed to know, TODAY, that this was nothing. She needed to know NOW.

Arriving at the mansion, she actually cried for a moment. Wiping the tears away, she walked in and made a phone call to her doctor. They could get her in to see a nurse practitioner at two o'clock.

Relax. It's probably nothing.

**Later that afternoon**

Jerrica waited in an exam room for the nurse practitioner, who walks in a few minutes later. "Ms. Benton, what brings you here today?" The nurse asked.

Jerrica started crying again, "I...I found a lump." She says grabbing a tissue to wipe the tears away.

The nurse practitioner places her hand on Jerrica's arm and comforts her, "It's okay, take a deep breath. Eighty-five percent of these things actually turn out to be nothing." She explained to Jerrica. "Now lie back and I'll do an exam."

Jerrica removes her blouse and bra and lies down on the exam table. She can't help but think that the nurse wouldn't find anything. Maybe she imagined this whole thing. She also thinks this whole thing is embarrassing. She turns her head and blushes.

The nurse lingered in the same place on her left breast. "Hmm... It's probably just a cyst, could be inflamed. The skin feels a little warm to the touch, as well." She smiled at Jerrica assuringly. "I would like you to make an appointment for a mammogram just to be on the safe side. But I don't think there's nothing to worry about."

Jerrica got dressed and was about to leave the exam room when a thought ran through her head, 'What if it is cancer?' She began to cry again, the third time today.

A reprieve? No, not today, that would imply that this is just a delay. But the medical professional had told her not to worry. So, it wasn't a reprieve, at least not yet. But it wasn't an "all clear" either. She was sitting in the waiting room after her exam, she was on her phone scheduling a mammogram, hoping they could fit her in tomorrow but they had no openings. So, she scheduled an appointment for two weeks from now at 10:00 am. Well, that was another sign not to worry. If the nurse practitioner thought that this was serious she probably would have gotten Jerrica an appointment immediately.

She learned over the next two weeks how not to think about it, but it kept creeping into her mind.

**Two weeks later...**

Jerrica had taken the day off from work to have her mammogram. She never had one before, and she felt guilty about it. She was well over the age of 40, and should have done this already. Jerrica was a little nervous; she didn't know what to expect. But the whole procedure went off without a problem. She had redressed and asked the technician if she had seen anything, not realizing she wasn't allowed to say anything.

The technician answered, "Nothing jumps out at me."

'So, that's it? I'm just being silly, stressing over nothing?' She thought.

**One week later...**

Jerrica saw that she had a voicemail, her hand shook as she played the message, "_Hello, Ms. Benton. I'm calling from the women's health center. The radiologist has reviewed your file and would like you to come in for additional images._" The message ends and she collapses to the floor and cries.


	2. Chapter 2

Jerrica was sitting at home thinking of the phone call she just received from the women's health center, the last sentence running through her mind: '_...come in for a few additional images._'

Her first mammogram was routine. However, her second one wasn't. She was called into the imaging room over and over again and this time it was painful. No one would tell her anything, just that they need to make sure they had very clear images. Jerrica was finally pulled off to the side and told that they needed to do an ultrasound. She was taken to a different waiting room and she was alone, images of her family entered her mind and she couldn't shake them.

She looked around for something to read, only the magazines were different, no _People_. No _Entertainment Weekly_, no _Variety _or _Billboard_. There was a copy of _WebMD _and other medical magazines. Jerrica wondered if this was their idea of easing her into the idea of cancer.

Jerrica had always hoped to have an ultrasound, but not on her breasts. She was wanting children of her own with Rio, but she accepted the fact that she may never get pregnant, she was simply too old.

She was finally called into an exam room and told to lay down on the table and was asked to put her arms above her head. She closed her eyes and let the exam happen. It just didn't seem real to her. She was dreaming.

But this wasn't a dream, this was real and it was actually happening.

"Ms. Benton, we'd like you to follow up with a breast specialist and schedule a biopsy."

She felt her breath leave her.

"This is probably nothing, but we like to be cautious. Just in case."

Jerrica still had no answers as to what this lump is. Just more phone calls and more appointments. She met with the breast surgeon the following Tuesday. Jerrica liked her. She found the surgeon to be very matter of fact and reassuring. Her biopsy was scheduled for the following day.

Alone. Jerrica was starting to feel very alone. She had women who worked with her to talk to about this but they wouldn't understand what was going on. She had decided to work from home until she could figure out what was happening with her body. She called in to Kimber, "_Starlight Music, Kimber speaking._"

"Hey Kimber, I just wanted to tell you that I have a biopsy scheduled for tomorrow and will work from home until I figure out what this lump is." She told her sister.

"_Oh, ok. I'll e-mail you some contracts to look over for a new band that wants to sign with us. Until then, take it easy._" Kimber told her.

She had managed to fit in her appointments during the time she worked from home, which was a good thing since she temporarily put Kimber in charge. She could go early in the afternoon or sometimes in the morning.

Jerrica arrived for her biopsy, she had asked Stormer to go with her, to be her strength, her rock. The surgeon had indicated to Jerrica that this was a fairly routine procedure. There was nothing to be afraid of, right? Jerrica was starting to get used to undressing from the waist up and staring to lose all modesty regarding her breasts. But, after lying on the exam table, she did cover herself with the "paper" blanket. Once again, she decided to close her eyes and let this happen.

It was easier sometimes to not think about what the results might be. She couldn't change anything. Either it was cancer or it wasn't. Jerrica was a little tired of not knowing and tired of the run-around.

The pain from the biopsy was pretty minimal. She could handle this. She just kept reminding herself that she was strong. She just needed to keep breathing.

"We should have the results in about a week. Your surgeon will call to follow-up."

'A week! I have to wait another week?!' Jerrica thought to herself. She managed to take a deep breath and keep that last response inside. "Thank you." and managed to keep herself from sprinting out of the office.

This sure didn't feel like law and order. This was chance and chaos. We all know what happens when chaos ensues, right?

Jerrica had managed to work a fairly normal week. Although, she would occasionally find herself shut down and staring off into space. She was glad to work from home so that no one noticed that something was on her mind. She was a professional at her job. It actually helped keep her mind off her personal problem. She just focused on being the best record executive she was known to be.

**Monday, October 20, 2014**

Jerrica certainly hadn't forgotten about the biopsy. But, when the phone call came, she wasn't expecting it.

"_Jerrica Benton?_" The caller asked.

"This is Jerrica." She said to the caller.

"_This is Dr. Reid. Jerrica, I'd like to have you come in this afternoon to review the results of your biopsy. Do you have some time?_"

"Please, can you just tell me? I've been worrying myself sick." She said to the doctor.

The doctor sighed, "_The results are positive for a malignancy._"

"Well, that's not what I wanted to hear."

"_And that's not how I wanted to have to tell you. But I would really like to sit down with you and go over everything. Please remember, that this by no means a tragedy. This cancer is treatable and your prognosis is very good. Now that we have the results, we can make plans to get you through this. Would you be able to come by this afternoon?_" The doctor asked her.

"Um, yeah sure." Having heard the word "cancer" from a doctors mouth for the first time made her zone out for just a second. Breathe. "Yes, what time?"

"_Would four o'clock work?_"

"Um, yeah."

"_In my experience, it can be very helpful if you bring someone with you. I'm going to be throwing a lot of information at you. It helps to have someone to help you remember everything, and you might want some support._"

"Um, what?" She didn't have anyone to confide in at this level. She started to feel a little panic stir in her stomach. "I mean, I'm not sure. Um, I'll be there at four."

"_Thanks, I'll see you then._" The doctor disconnected the call.

Jerrica hung up the phone and with her head in her hands, she sobbed. "I...I have cancer? I can't. I have a foundation to run, girls that count on me to be here for them." She said out loud to nobody in particular continuing to cry.

Who? Who? Who? This is ridiculous. How can a healthy, grown woman get breast cancer and have nobody to confide in? She had always prided herself on her independence and now it came back to bite her in the ass. A minute ago she was just alone, now she was alone and had cancer.

Jerrica had decided to call it a day, she left her home office and went on to bed. She cried herself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

After sleeping for 4 hours, Jerrica woke up to noise coming from the living room. Laughter, Kimber, Jem and the Holograms were talking about the new band that had just signed with the label, "Freedom's Ring."

Kimber sees her sister coming down the stairs, "Jerrica, how are you doing?" She asked.

Jerrica sighs and wipes a tear from her cheek and can't hold back her cry, "I-I h-have b-breast cancer. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. It's stage four." She says to them. Kimber sat next to her sister and had tears running down her face, she hugged Jerrica and the two of them cried. Kimber could lose her sister and she doesn't want that to happen.

Jem, Aja, Shana and Raya gather around the two sisters and hug them, showing their support and offering their help when they can.

Rio arrives at the mansion and calls for Jerrica, "Jerrica? Baby are you here?"

Jerrica responds, "I'm in the family room." Rio walks in and hears the sounds of sniffles, his mood changed from happiness to sadness, "What's wrong? Why all the sad faces?" He asked.

Jerrica walks over to Rio, hugs him and says, "Rio, the doctor called yesterday," she couldn't hold it together, "I-I have breast cancer. Stage IV. I don't want to die." She says crying.

Rio begins to cry as well, he wonders what he would do if the love of his life were to die. He's scared for both of them. Jerrica's cries turn into sobs.

The whole room is filled with the sounds of crying. Jem pulls the Holograms aside, "We need to do something for her, any of you have ideas?" She asks the group.

Kimber speaks up first, "I want to write some songs for Jerrica and her battle, what do you guys think about that?"

The group still reeling over the news of Jerrica's cancer talk about Kimber's suggestion, "You know, Kimber. That's a good idea. Let's go to the studio and get to work." Shana says wiping a tear from her eyes.

Raya also crying says, "There's a breast cancer walk happening at Circle Park in the next few weeks. We could walk for Jerrica, show her that we support her?"

"Ooh, good idea, Raya!" Jem says.

Aja thinks, "You know, we should invite The Misfits and The Stingers to the walk."

Shana turns to the couple and asks, "Jerrica, would you like some visitors?"

Jerrica, still in Rio's grasp turns toward the voice and nods. She is still in shock over the phone call she received a few hours ago.

Kimber makes the call to Stinger Sound.

"_Stinger Sound, This is Renee. How may I direct your call?_"

"Hi, Renee. It's Kimber Benton from Starlight Music. Is Pizzazz or Riot available?" Kimber asked the woman.

"_Please hold._" Renee said.

After waiting on hold for a while, Kimber hears a males voice on the line, "_Kimber! To what do I owe this phone call?_" Riot says cheerfully.

Kimber sighs, "Riot, can The Stingers and The Misfits come to the mansion, Jerrica received some sad news a while ago. I'll have her tell you guys when you get here, okay?"

Riot's mood changed, "_Oh, Kimber! I'm sorry to hear that. I'll let Pizzazz know that they are needed at the mansion. We'll see you in about fifteen to twenty minutes._" He said to Kimber.

"Okay, we'll see you then. Bye Riot." Kimber says before ending the call. She turned around and wrapped her sister and her boyfriend in a hug, letting them know that the two groups from Stinger Sound are on their way.

Aja's stomach growls breaking the silence, "I'm going to make us all something to eat. Jerrica? You think you can eat something?"

Jerrica nods her head.

Aja begins to make a pot of soup and getting everything setup for a nice meal with the people she considers her family.

When the soup was done, she began serving the bowls to everyone, who begin to eat, telling Aja what a good job she did with making the meal.

Jerrica was staring at the table, still sad over the news she got, not paying attention, she was zoning out. Kimber was talking about the new band that was just signed, she asked Jerrica what she thought of the band, "Jerrica?"

"Hmm? I'm sorry. I must have zoned out there." Jerrica says coming out of her daze, a little embarrassed.

"I asked you what you thought of the band?" Kimber asked Jerrica again.

"Oh, yeah. Um, they're a good fit for us. Can't wait to hear them." She said.

The doorbell rang. Shana gets up, "I'll get it." She opens the door.

Riot greets the woman, "Hey, Shana! We're here to see Jerrica."

"Hey! Riot. It's good to see you. I wish it was under better circumstances. Please, come in." She says standing to the side to let the trio in.

"Jerrica, The Stingers are here." Shana says placing a hand on the blondes shoulder.

Jerrica looks up to see Rapture and Minx come in, she then feels a hand gently pat her on the back, "Hey ladies." He said to the group, he sits down next to Jerrica and hugs her, after releasing the hug Riot asks her, "I understand you have some news to share, you want to tell us?" Before Jerrica could answer the doorbell rings again, Raya says that she'll get the door.

The Misfits enter the room, they all hug Jerrica and allow her to answer Riots question, "Thank you all for coming, this is hard for me to say without breaking down and crying, but I...I found a lump in my left breast yesterday morning and had it checked. I got the call a few hours ago, i-it's cancer. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to find out what treatment I'm going to have." She says holding back a cry.

The Misfits huddle around her, hug her and let her know that they are there for her. Stormer whispers in Jerrica's ear that she'll be praying for her, Jerrica smiles, "Thank you for the love and support, everyone. It means a lot." She said and hugs Stormer.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Jerrica was getting ready for her consultation with her oncologist, Dr. Simmons. Her appointment was for 2:00 in the afternoon.

She had asked Pizzazz to go with her to her doctor's appointment.

As she was getting ready, the phone rang. "Hello?" She asked the caller, "_Hey Jerrica, it's Pizzazz. You about ready to go?" _The caller asked.

"Yeah, I was just about to sit down for lunch. Care to join me?" She asked Pizzazz.

"_Sure, I'll be there shortly._" Pizzazz said before hanging up. Pizzazz arrives to see Jerrica in a cheerful mood. She is led to the dining room where she sees a sandwich and a bowl of salad on the table.

The two women ate lunch and talked about the appointment and the possibility that Jerrica could lose her life.

"What time do we have to leave, Jerrica?" Asked Pizzazz.

Jerrica checked her watch, "Uh, one thirty. I have to get there early to fill out some things, my consultation's at two." She said.

"Oh, okay. I think we should get going and see what the doctor says." Pizzazz says.

Jerrica tells Pizzazz, "I have one request Pizzazz and don't get angry please, when I introduce you to my doctor, I want you to use your real name, okay?"

"For you Jerrica, I'll let it slide this time." Pizzazz said with a smile.

**2:00pm The Angeles Clinic – Los Angeles, Ca.**

The two women sit and wait to be called back to see the doctor. The nurse calls Jerrica's name, "Jerrica Benton?" Jerrica and Pizzazz get up and go to a room.

A few minutes later there's a knock on the door, "Come in."

The doctor comes in, "Ms. Benton, I'm Dr. Simmons. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said extending his hand.

"Dr. Simmons, this is my friend Phyllis Gabor." Jerrica made the introductions.

"Good, I'm glad you brought someone with you. I think you'll be thankful you did." The doctor said to Jerrica.

"I just need you to sign this HIPPA addendum to allow me to speak about your medical condition in front of Ms. Gabor."

"Okay." Jerrica signed the document. "Let's get to it. I need to know everything." Jerrica said.

The doctor looks over the results of Jerrica's biopsy and ultrasound, he turned to her and said, "Your biopsy and ultrasound show a tumor of about 2.5 centimeters. It presents as ER positive and HER2 negative."

Jerrica is a little overwhelmed at the medical jargon coming from the doctors mouth, "Whoa, you've gone way over my head."

"It's one of the most common types of breast cancer, and also one of the easiest to treat." The doctor responded.

"So, what do I do first?" Jerrica asked.

"Surgery."

"Cut 'em both off."

"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves here, Ms. Benton. Although a double mastectomy is an option, it may not be the best option for you. Your tumor is on the small side. Studies show that the survival rate between mastectomy and lumpectomy are relatively the same. And you don't need to make that decision today. I'll make sure you meet with a plastic surgeon before you make the final call." Dr. Simmons told her.

"I have a couple of questions, Dr. Simmons. First is, When will the surgery be? The reason I'm asking is, I'm a foster mother and I run a foundation for girls called the Starlight Foundation. I have to make sure everything's in order so that during this time, my sister Kimber can run things if something happens to me. My second question is, How long do I have to decide?" She asked.

Dr. Simmons told her, "I'd like to schedule it soon. Until then, as for your foundation, I'd like you to temporarily step aside as head of the foundation until after the surgery, just to make sure there is no stress in your recovery. You have the next couple of weeks to make a decision."

How long will I have to be off from work? I also run Starlight Music and manage the Pop group Jem and the Holograms and I don't want to miss any of their shows."

"I'm going to be honest with you, if you go with a lumpectomy you will miss one to two weeks of work. However, if you decide to go with a mastectomy, you could be out of work for six to eight weeks." The doctor said.

"And after surgery?" She asked.

"Chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I won't lie and tell you that during chemotherapy you will get very sick but it's a minor setback in getting better."

Jerrica took a deep breath. She asked the one question that every woman asks in this situation in spite of the danger of appearing vain. She runs her hands through her long golden locks. "Am I going to lose my hair?"

"Yes you will." The doctor replied. "And it will grow back."

Jerrica was zoning out at this point. It wasn't just the hair. It was all of these words. Words that she had never associated with herself: tumor, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation. This was really happening. And it seemed like, after waiting weeks and weeks for an answer, suddenly everything was moving way too fast.

The doctor reached behind him and grabbed some pamphlets for Jerrica and Pizzazz to go through at their leisure. He continued, "I've had my nurse set up some appointments and tests for you over the next few days. In addition to the plastic surgeon, you'll be meeting with a medical oncologist and radiation oncologist. We'll work as a team to help you get through this. We've also scheduled you for a bone scan, a cat scan, an MRI, and a chest x-ray."

Jerrica is wide-eyed over all the tests she has to do, "What are those tests for?" She asked shocked.

The doctor smiles, trying to calm her down, "They're standard procedure. We'll be looking for any evidence of metastasis."

Jerrica looked at Pizzazz, "They need to find out if the cancer has spread."

"Oh." Jerrica says.

"I know that this is a lot to take in. But I want you to know that your prognosis is very good. The five-year survival rate for your type of cancer is over 85 percent. And while this seems very daunting right now, we'll walk you through it one step at a time."

**Starlight Mansion - 8:00 PM**

Later in the evening, Jerrica stood in her bathroom looking at her reflection. She removed her blouse and bra. She looked down and stared at her breasts in the mirror. She had always liked the girls. And Rio seemed to approve of them too. No matter what she did, she was going to be disfigured. They were going to cut off part of her body. Would Rio want her after that? Of course he would, he loves her. She had a ton of appointments over the next few days, and a huge decision to make. But tonight, she was just going to curl up in bed, feel sorry for herself, and let herself have the big cry that had been growing inside her since the diagnosis.

She put on her pyjamas and goes to bed but cannot fall asleep. She's too upset, out of anger, she hits her pillow with her fists. After letting her frustrations go she sees a picture frame with a photo of her and Rio, it was of the two if them in Hawaii and they both looked happy. Jerrica gently brushed her hand on the image of Rio, "I love you, Rio. No matter what happens with me and this cancer, you take care of yourself and move on. I want you to be happy." She said with a sniffle.

What Jerrica didn't know was that Rio was leaning against the door jamb, he heard every word she said, "I love you too, Jerrica. I always will and no cancer will stop me from loving you. You are and always will be my one true love." He said walking over to Jerrica, he put his hands on her face wiping the tears from her cheeks, "You are strong, Jerrica. You will beat this disease, I have faith in you. Let me say this before we go to sleep, You are a bright and happy soul, you always bring out the best in people. If, and it's a big if, we lose you, we have lost a bright light in this world. I want you to fight and kick this cancers ass, even if you feel like you can't do it, you must win this fight." He said holding back a cry.

Jerrica reaches for him and hugs him tight and sobs again. This man is her strength. Her rock. Her soulmate. Rio cries again while holding Jerrica. She gave him permission to find love again, he probably won't because of his love for the woman currently in his arms. He whispered, "I love you so much, Jerrica."

**2 hours later...**

The couple was exhausted after crying so hard. "Let's get some sleep, babe. We've got some things to do at work before you begin your treatments." Rio said getting under the blanket.

Jerrica looks at Rio and understands what he's saying, "You're right, but can you do something for me?" She asked.

"Sure, what is it, sweetheart? He asked her.

"Can you make love to me? I probably won't be able to once my treatments begin." She told Rio. Jerrica and Rio spent the next hour in the throes of hot passionate love. When they were done, they fell asleep in each other's arms, emotionally drained from the recent news and slept peacefully.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days of Jerrica Benton's life turned out to be a crash course on how to be a patient. Not just a patient, but a "patient" cancer patient. The schedule of tests and appointments was overwhelming, but there was still a lot of waiting around.

The bone scan and x-ray were checked off the list, she now found herself in yet another waiting room. Jerrica flipped through a surprisingly current issue of _People _magazine, seeing what The Misfits were doing, as well as the goings on in other celebrities lives and what the latest fashions and hairstyles were.

She did notice, however, that she seemed to be the only person who was there by herself and she didn't like being alone, it scared her. She managed to make her sigh inaudible, as she, once again, questioned the decisions that she had made in her life. One decision she would never question was her love for Rio, he promised her that he would stay by her side during the worst time in her life, and he would NOT go back on that promise.

'Stop it, Jerrica.' She thought to herself. 'Negative thoughts get you nowhere.' She sighed loudly and said out loud to no one in particular, "It is what it is." If it is cancer, she'll just deal with it and see what happens. Indulging in the "what-ifs" wasn't going to help her right now.

When she arrived at her appointment with the medical oncologist, she realized that she was starting to get into the swing of things when she rattled off her name and birth date to the receptionist without having to be asked. This was the only male doctor on her "team," and she really wasn't sure how she'd feel having him examine her for the first time. She had always preferred female doctors.

She needn't have worried. Dr. Reynolds had an air about him that made her feel instantly at ease. She couldn't put her finger on it, but he made her feel safe. He was young, maybe even younger than her. But it was like, he had seen this before, and he knew what to do about it, and everything was going to be just fine. She was in good hands with her medical "team."

The doctor looked at Jerrica, "I'd like to start your treatments about four weeks after your surgery." He told her. "The current protocol for your type of cancer is four treatments of a combination of two drugs, adrimycin and cytoxin, delivered every two weeks."

"So, that's it? Just four rounds?" She thought that seemed doable.

"Depending on the results of your sentinal node biopsy there are also additional therapies that we may want to consider after that." Dr. Reynolds stated.

"Oh," Jerrica's mind was trying to recall what a sentinal node biopsy was. She pulled out her iPhone and made a note in the "Notes" app to look it up later. "What other treatments?" She asked.

"There are other chemotherapy drugs we may want to consider. And the type of cancer you have feeds on the estrogen that is naturally produced in your body. We may want to reduce that amount." The doctor said.

"And how do you do that?" She asked in amazement.

"We could give you a drug to supress your ovaries. The chemotherapy is likely to put you into menopause, but we could medically induce it just to be certain."

Jerrica sucked in a breath. Menopause? There went her shot at having children. She had heard that it could happen, but she hadn't heard anyone mention it to her until just now.

The doctor noticed her hesitation, "That isn't anything we need to decide right now. Let's just take things one step at a time. Okay?" He said to her.

"Yeah," She let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Why don't you lie back on the table, I'll do a quick exam, and get you out of here so you can make it to your next appointment."

Jerrica lay back and stared at the ceiling while she was "felt up" yet again. It was all right. She was getting used to it, although she was embarrassed about the whole thing. She turned her head to the left and blushed at the doctors touch, he noticed it but didn't say anything.

The doctor then started examining her right arm.

"I'm sorry but what are you looking for there?" She inquired.

He grinned at her and motioned for her to sit back up. "Well, I'm sure you realize that the chemotherapy drugs are very toxic. If we administer the drugs through a vein in the arm, there is a greater chance of leakage. And the veins can become less usable as the treatment goes on. I hate to tell you this: but you don't have great veins."

She laughed a little to herself. Was that an insult?

"So, what can I do about that?" She asked the doctor.

"I'm going to recommend that you consider having a port-a-cath implanted when you have your surgery done. It's a small device that will sit just a couple of inches below your collarbone." He said pointing to the spot on her.

"Oh, I have to think about that." Jerrica was starting to feel a little light-headed. She had her share of injuries and scars when she was younger. What's another wound or scar, right? But having something foreign implanted in her body, she was a little leery about it.

"I'll get you some information on the device and the procedure. It's really much safer for you, and most patients are happy with the decision." He assured her with a cheerful smile.

"Okay..." Jerrica started typing on her phone again. "So, what's next?" She asked.

"I'd like to see you again after your surgery. We want your incision to be almost completely healed before beginning the treatments."

"So, I can go back to work after the surgery?" She asked the doctor.

"As soon as Dr. Michaels clears you, absolutely." He said.

"And I'll be able to work during chemo?" She asked again.

"You might. People tolerate the drugs differently. About ten percent of my patients are able to live their lives almost like nothing's going on."

"Well, that sounds promising." She looked hopeful.

"And another ten percent become nearly incapacitated." He said sadly.

"Oh." She acknowledged.

"The rest fall somewhere in between. You can expect fatigue and some nausea. But I do have to tell you, we have some amazing drugs to help with both of those side effects. What do you do for a living, Ms. Benton?" He asked her.

Jerrica smiled, "I'm a foster mother and music executive." She said.

"Huh, You're pretty young to be a foster mother and a music company executive." He complimented her.

Jerrica blushed at the doctor's compliment, "I inherited the foster home, The Starlight Foundation and the music company, Starlight Music, when my parents died. My mom died in a plane crash when I was twelve and my dad died a few years later after a long illness."

"You may want to limit your time in the office during your treatments. Do you have people in mind for both?" He asked her.

She looked at him a little crestfallen, but smiled at his question.

"Yes, I do. My sister Kimber for the Music company and my oldest foster daughter, Ashley Larsen for the foster home."

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. You've been spending your time keeping those young girls safe. When you're in treatment, it will be my job to keep you safe. I want those girls to still have their foster mother. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. I want to be around for those girls a little while longer." she smiled. She liked this guy; this was going to work.


	6. Chapter 6

**Tuesday, January 20, 2015**

Jerrica was maintaining her practiced, cool, calm composure. But she was exhausted. She had been poked, prodded, scanned, and examined. She had undressed from the waist up more times than she could count. She'd had so many vials of blood taken she was quite certain there was nothing left to give.

She was a little proud of herself though. She was playing the patient part very well. She smiled graciously when the technicians missed her veins on the first try. She gulped down the thick barium suspension in preparation for the cat scan without complaint. And she hadn't bitten anyone's head off, at least not yet.

This was the last appointment on the list, the plastic surgeon. Jerrica had considered canceling. After meeting with all of her doctors and reading as much information as she could get her hands on, she was leaning toward the lumpectomy. She knew some might argue that only a mastectomy was doing **everything **she could to beat the cancer. But the truth was that even a mastectomy was no guarantee. Her decision wasn't set in stone yet, so she soldiered on through just one more appointment. Besides, she had received a text from Pizzazz. She was going over some things at the recording studio with the engineers and would meet Jerrica for dinner.

Pizzazz pulled up and honked her horn getting Jerrica's attention, who waved at her.

The weather was mild, but rainy for Southern California. Jerrica, wet from the rain, got in the car and put on her seatbelt, "God, it's chilly out there." Jerrica remarked.

"I hate January." Pizzazz agreed.

Pizzazz asked Jerrica where she wanted to go for dinner, "Are you hungry for anything in particular?" The green-haired woman asked.

"Yeah, I was thinking The Tavern, sound good?"

"Definitely." she replied. "Dine-in or take-out?"

"Could we just pick it up and take it back to Starlight Mansion?" Jerrica really didn't want to be in a public place in case she started crying. Her public image is one of strength, NOT weakness.

"Yeah. Do you think you're up to any company tonight?" Pizzazz asked the blonde.

"Who are you thinking of?" Jerrica asked.

"Well, I know the girls would like to see you." Pizzazz said.

Jerrica had a questioning look on her face, "The girls? What girls?" She said acting suspicious.

"Well Kimber said she misses seeing you in the office. And I've spoken with Minx and Rapture and they both said they're free tonight." Pizzazz states.

"What is this about, Pizzazz? Some kind of intervention?" Jerrica asked.

"No, nothing like that. It's just that we've been talking..." Pizzazz trailed off.

"About me?" Jerrica asked shocked.

"Yes, about you. I'm sorry. We've been talking. And we'd like to be kind of a support system for you." Pizzazz knew this wasn't going well.

"You don't have to do that." Jerrica realized that, of course, her friends would be talking about her. She had put the news out there.

"Don't have to do it; want to do it." Pizzazz stated firmly.

Jerrica was truly at a loss for words. She hated to admit that she needed help, but she knew that her present and future circumstances were going to necessitate needing help whether she liked it or not. It probably wasn't a good idea to piss off the people who were trying to be there for her.

After an uncomfortable silence, Jerrica finally spoke, "Call them. We'll have a girls night at the mansion."

"Stormer tripped on a cord in the studio in the middle of recording a track." Roxy was recounting the latest studio session from the last week.

The mood at Starlight Mansion was light, albeit a little awkward. Everyone was avoiding any mention of cancer, waiting to see if Jerrica would bring it up herself.

She didn't. She was trying to follow all of the conversations, but was admittedly single-minded, and frankly a little bit tired. She found herself just trying to smile and laugh when it was appropriate. At least, with Mediterranean food in her belly, and the number of warm bodies in the room she wasn't cold anymore. And just having her friends there trying to make her feel normal, was all she really needed right now.

Eventually, things were starting to wind down. Everyone had had a long week. Pizzazz, Roxy and Jetta started gathering their things and getting ready to leave.

"Stormer, do you want to walk out with us?" Pizzazz asked the blue-haired woman.

"Oh, I thought I'd stay and help Jerrica clean up a bit." Stormer looked up at Jerrica. "I'm sure Jerrica wouldn't mind if I stayed, I just know that as soon as I get home and put the key in the door, one of you is going to call me with a new song idea for the album."

"Sure, Stormer." Jerrica nodded. "I'd love the help and company."

They all said their goodbyes and the two women headed into the kitchen to tackle the stack of dirty dishes.

"You've been kind of quiet tonight, Stormer."

"Yeah..."

Jerrica wasn't happy with the answer and decided to gently push for the answer, "Yeah, but..."

Stormer sighed, "I'm... I'm just afraid that I'm going to say the wrong thing and make you mad at me." Stormer blurted out.

Jerrica laughed, "Yeah, me too. Why would I be mad at you, Stormer? Are you afraid of hurting my feelings? Don't be, once I begin my treatments, I may snap at you and the others but don't take it personally, okay?"

"I understand and what do you mean? You're allowed to say anything you want." Stormer told the blonde.

"I am?" Jerrica was perplexed.

"Well, yeah." Stormer said trying to explain, "You're dealing with this...thing. And we all get that. It kinda gives you _carte blanche_."

"I'll have to remember that."Jerrica laughed again. "You know, I know this isn't easy for anyone. And I know that everyone sees me as this fiercely independent bi..., I mean person. But I know that I'm going to need some help, some support over the next few months. And, well, it really means a lot to me that all of you are going out of your way to be there for me. I'm just afraid that the bitchy side will get the better of me and I'll piss one of you off." She added.

"You know, I was thinking," Stormer was finding it difficult to put her thoughts together, "I'm a very good listener. What if I could be the person, the friend, you turn to when you just want to whine, or cry, or scream, or complain, or whatever. I could listen, and promise to never, ever judge you for it. Okay, I'm rambling now, but you could say anything to me, and I could still never see you as anything but strong independent Jerrica Benton. But, of course you'd have to do something for me."

"And what would that be?" Jerrica asked.

You have to promise to forgive me every time I put my foot in my mouth. And I can assure you – it will happen." Stormer said.

Jerrica smiled, "It's a deal."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's note:<strong> WOW! Another chapter done! I want to thank a friend of mine for doing the Cover Image for me. Thanks man, you know who you are. Up next, Jerrica goes in for surgery. Let's hope all goes well for her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Monday, January 27, 2015**

Jerrica had arrived at Cedars-Sinai hospital for her surgery at six o'clock that morning. She was told to fast before arriving. She had asked Kimber to take her, although she was insistent that she had to do this on her own as much as possible. All of the prep work was done. She had been injected with a dye to help locate the sentinel node. An IV was in place that didn't seem to do much but make her have to pee every half hour. Her surgeon had been in to mark the incision area and initial her left breast with a sharpie. The doctor had done it without a moments hesitation but it made Jerrica feel a little strange, having someone write on her body with a permanent marker. At least the doctor hadn't written "Guilty" across her forehead.

It was now noon. Her surgery had been scheduled for ten o'clock, but had been bumped because the OR had been needed for a traffic accident. She had read every magazine she could get her hands on, and now she was just bored. But she was also tense. The delay was giving her too much time to think.

She was playing the part of the confident breast cancer patient. All of her doctors and friends told her how great her prognosis was. She wanted to believe them, she really did. But, truthfully, she was afraid she was going to die. And she was afraid to admit to that to anyone. Sure, this might just be a bump in the road, but it was a pretty big damn bump.

Ever since the diagnosis, Jerrica had felt cold. She remembered going in for the MRI of her breasts when she had been visibly shaking. The nurses and technicians had bundled her in blankets that had been warmed in some kind of oven. It had been heavenly. She had heard people complain about MRIs, but she had found the experience oddly comforting; laying on her stomach, wrapped up in warm blankets, and then slid into a tube feet first. She had actually fallen asleep. She wondered if they had those heated blankets here. She was afraid she was going to start shivering again.

As she tried to talk herself into pressing the button for the nurse a familiar face appeared in the doorway. It was Rio Pacheco.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jerrica couldn't keep the smile off her face as she tried to glare at the man.

"I came expecting to find you in recovery. I thought a Jerrica coming out of anesthesia would be less likely to bite my head off for visiting." The purple-haired man said.

"And instead you get a grumpy Jerrica who hasn't had anything to eat or drink in 30 hours. Lucky you." Jerrica said in an angry tone.

Rio laughed and went to sit by Jerrica's bedside. "So, can I keep your grumpy ass company until they get to you?"

Jerrica smiled, "Yeah, I'd like that." She reached for her boyfriends hand and intertwined their fingers.

She came awake slowly. There seemed to be a lot of noise all around her. She felt a strange heaviness on her chest, and something tightening on her right arm. She heard a doctor telling another patient that it was all over and everything had gone very well. Something about the sentinel node being positive, they had performed the lymph node dissection, that because of the delay they needed to keep her overnight. Then she realized that it was her doctor speaking to her. She didn't care. She just wanted to sleep.

**Wednesday, January 28, 2015**

The next time she became aware of her surroundings she knew that she was in a hospital room. She could see out the window that it was dark, but she had no idea what time it was. She felt very heavy, but she wasn't in pain, just uncomfortable and more thirsty than she had ever been in her entire life. She saw a pitcher and cup on the bed table but couldn't figure out how to get to it. Her left arm seemed unwilling to reach out to the table, and her right arm was being held hostage by a blood pressure cuff, an IV, and some weird clip thing on her index finger. Looking to her left she saw some kind of remote hanging right by her left hand. Maybe she could turn on the television to help lull herself back to sleep. She pressed the button but the TV didn't turn on.

A few minutes later a nurse came in. He asked what Jerrica needed before she realized she had actually hit the nurse call button.

"Umm, could you help me get something to drink?" she asked, a little embarrassed.

"Of course, Ms. Benton," he replied filling the cup and helping her drink.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." She said after taking the sip of water through the straw.

The nurse smiled, "It's okay. That's why I'm here, you know."

"What time is it?" Jerrica asked.

"It's about three in the morning. Are you feeling any pain?" He asked her.

"No, not really, just feeling a little weird." Jerrica says rubbing her eyes.

"It's always strange waking up in a hospital after surgery. You just let me know if there's anything else I can do to help make it easier. Are you hungry?"

"You can actually get me something to eat at this hour?" She says surprised.

"You bet I can. This is a 24-7 operation. What can I get you?"

Jerrica asked for a chicken salad sandwich and a bowl of fruit.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few." He said.

The nurse returned with her meal and after devouring the most fantastic sandwich she ever had, Jerrica ate the fruit which consisted of peaches, pears, grapes, and apples. After eating she settled back in her pillows and slept the rest of the night.

A few hours later, Jerrica woke up. "A nurse will be in to review your after-care instructions with you." The doctor explained. "And, I'll see you at your follow-up appointment on Friday. We should be able to remove the drain then."

"Okay, umm, I'm sorry. What drain?" Jerrica asked.

"You have a tube coming out just here, under your arm." the doctor pointed to her left arm. "It's to help remove any fluid that collects in the surgical area. The fluid collects in this container." Jerrica pulled up a little plastic container that was clipped to her hospital gown.

Jerrica maintained her composure, but was, frankly, a little bit grossed out. She hadn't yet gathered her nerve to take stock of all her new wounds. She wasn't ready to look. Not yet.

Jerrica hadn't planned on spending the night in the hospital, so she wasn't quite sure how she was going to get home that morning. But Stormer showed up just as her doctor was signing her discharge papers.

"You ready to get out of here?" Stormer asked Jerrica.

"So ready." Jerrica said.

Later that day, Jerrica awoke in her own bed, in her own home. She got up and walked out of her room. She heard the television playing in the media room. Normally, everything is shut off for the night and Jerrica is a little uneasy having someone else hanging around in her house. She was surprised to find that having noise of some sort was actually comforting. She knew she was fine. The surgery had only been minimally invasive. But knowing that there was someone else there, if she needed them was kind of nice.

She wasn't feeling a lot of pain. Mostly just discomfort. She knew that there had been three incisions. She still wasn't ready to look at them but she reached up with her right hand to feel. She had been expecting large bandages, but there weren't any. Just what felt like little pieces of tape covering the stitches. The first incision was just below, and to the right of her right collar bone. This was where they had placed the port where she would receive the chemotherapy. Below the stitches she could feel a bump where the port actually was.

The second incision was on the outside of her left breast, where the tumor had been removed. The third was under her left arm. This is where they had performed what was called a lymph node dissection. She knew that they only did the procedure if the sentinel node , the lymph node closest to the tumor, was found to be positive. She would have to wait to find out if any of the other nodes had been positive.

Jerrica was hungry, and she had to pee. It was time to get out of bed and make some baby steps toward facing the world again.

Entering the living room, she found Rio sprawled out on the couch. She walks over to him and kisses him on the lips, he wakes up from the kiss, "I thought it was supposed to be a prince that wakes up Sleeping Beauty?" Rio says wrapping the woman he loves in a hug.

She hisses in pain, "Careful, I'm still sore from my surgery."

Rio realized and lightens his hold on her, "Sorry, Babe."

"It's okay," she said. Jerrica looked around the room, "What's all this?"

"Everybody got together on the get-well gifts. There are at least four floral arrangements, two bunches of balloons, a fruit basket and one big stuffed gorilla, all from the foundation and music company." Rio points out.

Jerrica begins to cry, truly at a loss for words, "This was nice of them, this is too much." she says wiping the tears from her eyes.

Jerrica looked at the gorilla with a grimace, "Gimmie." Taking the stuffed animal, she sat down on the couch with a sigh, hugging the gorilla to her chest and crying again.

Rio asks her, "Can I get anything for you?"

"I'm fine, Rio." She says looking at the room filled with the gifts from everybody.

He had expected the 'I'm fine' response. "Jerrica, I know you don't want me here. You want to be strong, independent. But I'm staying the night. I'm going to be over-protective, and I'm going to hover. I'm going to make sure you take your pain meds, eat something, and get your rest."

Jerrica grinned and rested her chin on the the gorilla's head. Rio was pacing back and forth across the room. The sound engineer was thinking about what to say to her. This was excellent.

"What's happening to you could happen to any of us. It could even happen to me. I'm only doing for you what I think I would want you to do for me."

"I hope I never have to return the favor, Rio. But if I do, I will take care of you the same way you want to take care of me." Jerrica told him matter of factly.

The couple look at each other. "Wanna order a pizza?" Jerrica asked her boyfriend.

"Sure, what do you want?" he asked her. "A veggie pizza, no hot peppers. I don't think my stomach can handle spicy foods right now."

Thirty-five minutes after placing a call to Garage Pizza, they had made a decent attack on the pizza and Jerrica was now stretched out on the couch "Resting her eyes."

Two hours later, Rio saw that Jerrica was asleep. He picked her up and carried her bridal style to her bedroom, he placed her on the bed and covered her up, he bent down and gently kissed her on her forehead, "Good night, my love. You are my world." He said to her.

Rio knelt down at her side, made the sign of the cross and prayed, "_Father in Heaven, I come to you tonight and ask that you watch over Jerrica. Comfort her, protect her and restore her to health. I place her under your care and ask that you watch over her. Above all, grant me the grace to acknowledge your will and know that whatever you do, you do for the love of us. I pray this in Your Holy name. Amen._" He makes the sign of the cross again and quietly goes to the living room and falls asleep on the couch.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Sorry it took me so long to update. I got caught up with things around the house and wanted to make sure I got everything right. The prayer that Rio says is a Catholic prayer for the sick, some of it I thought up and some of it came from the heart. God bless all of you that get cancer and bless your caregivers and families.


	8. Chapter 8

**Tuesday, February 10, 2015**

Jerrica was actually feeling a little giddy about getting to go back to work today, but a little nervous too. She didn't know if people were going to treat her differently. She wasn't thrilled to be at the office for the next few months while Jem and the Holograms toured with the Fifth Avenue Boys as the opening act. But she'd have to make the best of it. She was also hoping that Rio would be home in time for Valentine's Day.

She was still careful when she showered and dressed not to look. She hadn't looked yet, and she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to confront the scars. She kept her head tilted up and her eyes closed while she dressed.

The recovery from surgery hadn't been what she expected. She was surprised at the lingering aches and pains, and was dismayed to discover how difficult it was to regain all of the motion in her left arm. She was doing the prescribed exercises but her progress was far too slow for her taste. She also caught herself sometimes holding her left arm in a strange protective position, her elbow tucked into her side with her hand resting at her shoulder. She hadn't noticed it until someone had pointed it out to her. She made a mental note to check herself throughout the day, and to keep her arm relaxed.

Fully dressed, all of her scars were hidden. Even the port-o-cath, and the incision to implant it, had been strategically placed to be easily hidden by her clothing. She had also started to wear a medical alert bracelet in place of her watch, stating that no sticks or BPs were to be administered to her left arm. She had done her homework on lymphedema and decided not to take any chances. Taking one last look in the mirror, she thought she looked like her regular self.

An hour later Jerrica Benton was back at Starlight Music.

Shana was the first to greet her, "Jerrica, welcome back."

"Thanks, Shana." She said to the purple-haired African-American woman.

She walked to her office and was surprised to not see a mountain of recording contracts waiting for her. She figured the others would jump at the chance to have someone fill out their forms for them. Kimber wasn't in yet for the temporary transition so she decided to go down to the studio and check on Rio and see how he was doing. He didn't notice her walk in until she put her hands over his eyes, "Guess who?"

"Um, Jem?" Jerrica laughed, "No, it's not Jem. Guess again."

"Jerrica?" He asked turning in her direction.

"Yep!" She said kissing him. "Nice shirt by the way." She said noticing the color of his shirt.

"Thanks. Welcome back, sweetie." He said kissing her.

"So, how do they sound?" She asked her boyfriend.

"They're a little rough, but after I run it through some sound editing software, they'll sound a lot better." Rio told her.

Jerrica nods her head, "Good. Who are they?" She asked.

"They are the new band that was signed called "Freedom's Ring" they're a Christian band that also sings some Patriotic songs too. In fact, they were just about to start on something they wrote for you." Rio says with a smile on his face.

Rio looks at the bands guitarist, Jada Hicks who begins playing "Something In The Water" but Jada wasn't singing, it was Stormer as the bands special guest vocalist.

After the song was over, Jerrica had tears in her eyes. She loved the song. She presses the button for the studio microphone, "Thank you, that was beautiful. It means a lot." She said crying. Jada and Stormer told Jerrica that she was welcome and that they love her.

She left the recording studio still crying, she sniffled and wiped her eyes. She regained her composure and called the new head of Starlight Music's Public Relations Department, Chrissy Walters into her office about issuing a press release, "Chrissy, I want to release a statement, I want it to say that I have temporarily stepped down as president of the foundation due to medical reasons. Say that Ashley will take over in the interim. Also, I'm stepping down as CEO of the music company, Kimber will be taking over as interim CEO, both are effective immediately. Mention that I took over the foundation from my father when he died many years ago."

Chrissy writes down what Jerrica just said and asks her, "Should I mention your diagnosis?"

"Yes, and say that I will begin treatment in the next few weeks and to respect my privacy as I battle the disease. If they have any further questions, you take them, okay?"

"Got it. Anything else?" Chrissy asked again.

"Nope, that's it. Publish it on the website and social media, please." She said to Chrissy.

"Okay, I'll get Chip on it. Enjoy the rest of your day, Jerrica." Chrissy said to Jerrica leaving the office.

A few minutes later, the following statement was on Starlight Music's news feed:

_Jerrica Benton, president of the Starlight Foundation has temporarily stepped down due to medical reasons, former Starlight Girl, Ashley Larsen will take over on an interim basis. Ms. Benton is also stepping down and CEO of Starlight Music, her sister Kimber is taking over the music company as interim CEO. Both are effective immediately. Jerrica took over the foundation from her father, Emmet, who died many years ago._

_Ms. Benton was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer and will begin treatment in the next few weeks. It is also in the best interest of the foundation and music company that everybody please respect Ms. Benton's privacy as she battles the disease._

_Any questions should be directed to the PR department._

Kimber arrived a few minutes later, wearing a pink blouse. She walked into Jerrica's office to begin the temporary transition to interim CEO of Starlight Music. "Good Morning, Jerrica. It's good to see you back." Kimber said to her sister giving her a warm smile.

"Thanks, Kimber. It's great to be back. Sorry if I feel a bit emotional today. I just saw the new band and they played a song that got to me because of my situation." She started tearing up again. "I love you very much, Kimber and that's why I have chosen you as the interim CEO of the company, I want it to remain in the Benton family. I'll still come in and work with you and if I feel like you can handle this job, then I'll step back and let you take over, even if it's only temporary. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me, okay?"

Kimber, overcome with emotion walks behind the desk and hugs her sister. "I don't want you to leave. You're the only blood relative I have left and the only connection to mom and dad." She says to Jerrica who looks at the only picture of their parents on her desk and begins to cry as well.

"I'll make you proud of me Jerrica. You just take care of yourself and come back here stronger than ever." Kimber told her sister.

Jerrica smiles and says, "I will, you can count on it."

"You promise?" Kimber asked seriously.

"I promise. I'll be back. Plus, we don't know how I'm going to feel over the next few months. I hope it goes smoothly and don't want to be overloaded or bored either, that's why I've decided to do little side projects to fill any empty moments I have during my recovery. I'll be a cancer buddy to children while they get their treatments." Jerrica said to Kimber.

"That's great! Have you thought of a successor if you can't come back?" Kimber asked concerned.

"Yeah, I have." Jerrica smiled again. "I'm looking at her."

"Me? I don't know what to say, Jerrica. I don't think I can do it!" The red head said in shock.

"You'll do fine, Kimber. Now why don't look over the details of the next performance that Jem and The Holograms have coming up. You're the CEO now but I'll be here if you need me." Jerrica told her sister.

Kimber did just that and found everything to be in order, normally she would go to Jerrica and get her signature but since she was the CEO, Kimber signed her own name on the document, quite proud of herself.

A few hours later, Jem, Aja, Shana and Raya showed up to discuss the next show. Jem was happy to see Jerrica, welcomed her back, and asked her how she was doing.

"I'm doing alright. It's good to be back at work." she answered. So, are you part of the pink blouse conspiracy as well?" She nodded at Jem's attire.

"No, happy accident." She grinned and took a seat on the office couch.


	9. Chapter 9

**Monday, March 9, 2015**

The weeks between surgery and chemotherapy passed much too quickly. There were so many horror stories out there about chemo, and Jerrica was, understandably, apprehensive. She didn't know how sick she was going to be; she didn't know how tired. She had gone against her usual nature and joined a support group. Aja had found out about it, and she thought it might be helpful to talk to people who understood what she was going through. It turned out to be a god-send. She found herself meeting every Wednesday with eight other women who were in varying stages of their cancer treatment. She had a better idea of what to expect from the chemo. But she also came to learn that it affects everyone a little differently.

Her oncologist had given her a small booklet of prescriptions to fill, mostly anti-nausea medications, but also anti-anxiety, a topical anesthetic, and a blood thinner. The trip to the pharmacy produced a rather large shopping bag of pills and a $380.00 co-pay. With the drugs, and the surgery, and the multiple office visits at $35.00 a pop, this was getting pricey.

Arriving for her first chemotherapy treatment was surreal. There was still a little part of her that couldn't believe this was happening. She had planned her treatments for Friday afternoons, thinking this would give her the weekend to recover. She would have four treatments in total, every other week for eight weeks. She had come alone. Knowing the treatment would take about three hours, she didn't want to bore anyone. Shana had promised to give her a ride home after work.

A nurse called her in to take her vitals and a blood draw. She then found a seat in the chemo room and waited to be hooked up. She didn't look when the nurse pushed the needle through her skin and into the port, but she felt it. Damn, that numbing cream didn't work at all. She took a deep breath and settled back into the recliner with her iPad. She couldn't pay attention to the news feed she was reading, so she went to the Music app and found a playlist just for her. She looked through the song list and began to tear up. 'They didn't have to do that!' she thought to herself.

She put the earbuds in her ears and tapped on the first song, "Run for Life" it was sung by Jem. All Jerrica could do was smile and cry at the same time. She really did have people that cared for her, she loves those people very much. She listened to the songs until she got to "Is This Love" She heard Rio's voice throughout the song and when it ended, she heard him tell her that he loved her. She then gets to a song called "Something In The Water" she started crying when the first verse of Amazing Grace was sung in the song.

At the end she was bawling, because she knew she was going to be in good hands. The nurse came by and asked her if she was alright, "Yeah, it...it's my friends, take a listen." She gave the nurse one of her earbuds and replayed the song, the nurse was moved by it and had tears in her eyes as well, "That was beautiful. They did that for you?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah, just something to show their love for me." She said still crying. The nurse smiled and told Jerrica, "You are loved, not just by your friends but by us here and God as well." Jerrica was crying again, "Thank you, You don't know how much that means to me." She said to the nurse. She looked around the room at the other chemo patients. There were about four other people with her in this corner of the room. They all seemed nonplussed by what was going on. They clearly weren't newbies.

They witnessed Jerrica cry and told her that it was hard for them the first time, but with a strong support system, it just made it that much easier. Jerrica thought that maybe after her treatment she would go to the chapel and pray for good health in the future. Hopefully, that prayer would be answered.

There was a woman in the corner who caught her attention. She looked almost serene as she sat there, letting the chemo drip into her veins. She was drawing, obviously she was very good. She had been drawing it for a while. A pretty floral scarf covering her head. She looked to be a little younger than Jerrica.

She was in the process of drawing an outdoor scene, The Ocean At Sunset. The scenery had the sun, big and orange in the foreground surrounded by the water and clouds in the sky. There were also some sailboats on the water, it was absolutely beautiful. She was almost done with it.

"First time?" The young woman said smiling up at her.

"Is it that obvious?" Jerrica said nervously.

"You'll be fine. They're the best here. My name is Jayne."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jerrica. That's beautiful, what is it?" Jerrica sees what Jayne is drawing.

"Thanks. It's called 'The Ocean At Sunset.'" She said moving her hand from the artwork. "That's the great thing about the port-o-cath. It keeps my hands free to draw. I've tried reading during chemo but my head gets too foggy to concentrate. But this keeps me busy. Do you draw?" Jayne asked Jerrica.

"I, umm, I used to, with my mom before she decided to get back to doing music, she was a singer. She died in a plane crash when I was a young teen, I miss her. Haven't had time to draw since I took over the family businesses. I never progressed past stick figures."

"I have an extra pad of sketch paper in my bag. You wanna give it a go."

"Oh, no, I'm not sure I remember how." Jerrica blushed. She didn't really like doing things in public that she wasn't proficient in.

"It's like riding a bike." Jayne said pulling the pad out of her bag. "Here, I'll get you started. It's not like we don't have the time."

Jerrica laughed at herself, and went along. It wasn't like she had anything better to do. The actual drawing came back to her rather quickly, and it really helped to pass the time. Before she knew it, Jayne had finished her treatment and was packing up to leave.

"Oh, don't forget this." Jerrica said putting the colored pencils back in their holder.

"You can hold on to them. Are you going to be here in two weeks?" Jayne asked.

"Yeah, I am." Jerrica said.

"We'll catch up then." Jayne smiled. "You take care, Jerrica. It was nice meeting you." Jayne said.

"You too, Jayne." Jerrica said returning the smile.

Jerrica was now alone in her corner of the room, but she didn't mind. She turned the music back on and went back to drawing a picture of Rio and her family. The drawing seemed to be incredibly therapeutic, and she didn't even notice Shana standing in front of her. Jerrica felt a hand on her shoulder, pulled the earbud from her ear, "What are you doing Jerrica?" Shana asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Jerrica looked up laughing.

I didn't know you could draw." Shana said surprised.

I actually forgot I knew how. Fortunately, someone gave me a refresher course." Jerrica said thinking about what Jayne taught her.

Shana looked at the drawing that Jerrica was doing, amazed at how lifelike everyone looked. "You going to hang that when it's done?" Shana asked.

"I'm thinking about it, and maybe hang it over the fireplace at the mansion." Jerrica said.

One of the nurses came over to check on Jerrica's IV. "It looks like yur done here Ms. Benton. Time to kick you out." She pulled over a supply cart and proceeded to remove the needle from the port. "Just keep some pressure on that for a minute, and you'll be good to go."

Shana pulled a chair up beside her foster sister, "So, how are you feeling?"

"Really, I feel okay. Maybe a little light-headed, but that could be from stress. Maybe a little foggy, maybe a little drunk?" she said trying to describe the way she felt.

"Drunk?" Shana asked.

"Well, that's not quite the right feeling but it's as close as I can come." Jerrica said.

Shana laughed, then asked, "Do you want to try to eat something? We could go out, or pick something up for everyone on the way to the mansion."

"Yes, let's go out. I want a cheeseburger and french fries." Jerrica stated matter-of-factly.

"Come again?" Shana asked like she didn't hear her.

"I said, I want a cheeseburger and french fries." She repeated.

"Oh, Jerrica. Are you sure. Maybe you should go with something, I don't know, a little blander. What if you get sick?" Shana asked concerned.

"Well, if I get sick, maybe I'll create an aversion to cheeseburgers and french fries. That wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?"

The weekend was fairly uneventful. She felt okay. Maybe a little queasy at times, maybe a little more tired than usual, but nothing devastating. She considered texting Kimber to let her know she was available if she needed any help with running the music company, but, decided against it. Instead she opted to try her hand at drawing, remembering what Jayne told her and taught her.

She started drawing a picture of her parents but stopped because she began to cry.

She never prayed in her life but she needed to do it and right now she needs all the help she can get. She knelt down, made the sign of the Cross like Rio taught her and began to pray: "_Jesus, You suffered and died for us. You understand suffering. Teach me to understand my suffering as You do; to bear it in union with You; to offer it with You to atone for my sins and to bring your grace to souls in need. Calm my fears; increase my trust. May I gladly accept your holy will and become more like You in trial. If it be your will, restore me to health so that I may work for your honor and glory and the salvation of all. Amen._" She made the sign of the cross again, closing the prayer and cried again.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Authors Note:<strong>** Sorry it took so long to get this up but life kind of got in the way. The prayer that Jerrica says is called "A Prayer in Time of Sickness" It's a Catholic prayer for people that are sick to say for themselves. I have decided to make Rio and Jerrica followers of the Catholic faith.**

**Please read and review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Tuesday, March 10, 2015**

"Jerrica, I wasn't sure you'd be here today." Rio looked genuinely pleased to seer her.

Helping herself to a cup of coffee, "I'm really okay. Just a little fatigued. What's up?"

"We were just going over some stuff with the new band at the studio and would like you to have a listen." Rio said.

"Oh my God." Jerrica gasped.

"What Jerrica? A recording session isn't that unusual." Aja said.

"No, not that. This coffee, did Dan make it?" She asked disgusted.

"I made it, Jerrica." Shana said, looking a little hurt.

"Tastes all right to me." Kimber added.

Jerrica took another little sip, trying to be polite, but was unable to keep from grimacing. She set it aside thinking she'd have to sneak and make some more once no one was looking.

She probably shouldn't have been surprised when she noticed her energy fading before the end of the day, but she was. She told herself it could just be the lack of caffine. Even her own batch of coffee had ended up tasting a lot like sewer water. No one told her that one side effect of chemo was a change in taste. She really wasn't expecting that.

She continued reviewing the backstage lists for the bands that were or going to be touring in front of her, but was having trouble concentrating. She needed a nap. She wasn't ready to openly admit that she needed one. Her inner dialogue was making fun of her: _Always the strong one. Never show any weakness. Never ask for help._ She knew that no one would think any less of her if she wanted to get an hour or two of sleep on the couch in her office. Yet, still, she remained at her desk, staring at the incomprehensible words in front of her. She started nodding off and grabbed a thirty minute power nap to finish her work.

Jerrica made it until 5:30 on Monday and decided to go home and get some sleep, she asked Kimber to take her home. On the way to the mansion, Jerrica leaned her head on the window and fell asleep. Why did she want people to think the chemo wasn't affecting her. They knew what she was going through. She wasn't a superhero and they didn't expect that from her. Oh, but that was it, wasn't it?

**Wednesday, March 11, 2015**

By 2:00pm Wednesday afternoon, there was no denying that Jerrica had hit a wall. Joanie her secretary came in, one page of a contract was stuck to her face when Joanie came over and genty woke her up.

Jerrica perks up, "Jerrica? Rio's waiting for you." Joanie says.

"Hey." Jerrica says groggily.

"I want to show you something." Rio said.

Embarrased, Jerrica peeled the page from her cheek and shook her head trying to clear the fog. She slowly got up from her chair and followed Joanie and Rio to a corner of the room.

"Me and the girls made a little fort for you over here." Rio said pointing to the far corner of the office. Blankets had been hung from the ceiling to create a little room in the corner. Jerrica peaked inside and saw a cot and a small refrigerator had been set up.

"This is for me?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know, a little safe haven. We stocked the fridge with some snacks and beverages. The flowers are fake, I wasn't sure if the smell of real ones would, you know, make you sick." Joanie said.

Jerrica started getting emotional, "This is wonderful. Thank you." she says hugging Rio and Joanie.

Joanie said that she picked out the bedding and got the softest sheets she could find, and a real goose down pillow. She just hoped it wasn't to girly.

"It's perfect," Jerrica sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't know how to thank you."

Why don't you give it a test run." Rio said, smiling.

"Yeah, I think I will." It really didn't matter how soft the sheets were, Jerrica was asleep before her head hit the soft down of the pillow.

**Thursday, March 12, 2015**

Thursday morning was an entirely different world. When Jerrica's alarm clock started screaming at her, she didn't have the strength to turn it off. She wasn't just tired. Exhausted wasn't even the word. She was heavy. She felt like her limbs were sacks of wet sand. She had never felt like this before. Nothing could have prepared her.

She groaned as she slowly rolled her three-ton body over to hit the snooze button. She could sleep a little longer, but just a little. She needed to get up. She needed to take her meds. She knew if she didn't eat something soon she was going to be sick. She hadn't thrown up yet, and she had no intention of starting now. And, she had to pee.

Rio reaches over and turns off the alarm. She was glad that he stayed with her overnight. He got up, "Here, sweetie let me help you. What do you need?" He asked her.

"Bathroom and my medications" she said running to the bathroom, hand over her mouth like she had to throw up.

Rio heard the sounds of retching coming from the bathroom. He made breakfast for him and Jerrica, but she never came into the kitchen. Rio went and checked on her and found her asleep. He made the phone call for Jerrica and said that she wouldn't be in. He made sure she drank some water and to munch on some crackers.

He just let her sleep, she needed it.


End file.
